HOLY MACRO: EXPLODING GREEN TEA

whazzat?
a hand-rolled high grade exploding chinese green tea ball

ta-da! just add hot water and the green tea ball explodes to reveal dried whole flowers!


I've been getting that feeling all day that I'm fighting a cold or something. Perhaps I've been overusing my voice at work? I'm constantly clearing my throat. The very first thing I reach for is Manuka Honey--my mother brought some back from a trip to Australia and it had a "Manuka Factor" of 30! In Vancouver, I can only buy it with a Manuka Factor of 16 for ingestion.

this particular ball has 2 types of flower. the one in the foreground is chrysanthemum

Well, the Manuka honey isn't all that I do to ward off a cold. I drink green tea like crazy. Today I decided to reach for the groovy Chinese Green Tea Balls that explode when you add it to hot water. They come individually wrapped and cost $2.50 each. I think it's worth it in terms of entertainment value.



i have way too many tea pots! this one rests on a cast iron warmer...the votive is inside

My favourite thing to do is sit with one of my glass teapots resting on a warmer. The little green tea ball slowly blooms as it bobs in the pot and I watch as the flowers inside are revealed. I have a little teacup in my hand and sip the hot green tea while listening to jazz. The votive warmer casts a beautiful light from underneath, highlighting the beautiful bloom. Functional too, it is a must for me, because I dislike it when my tea gets cold. These green tea balls last for quite a few infusions as well. My pile of marking seems to go much faster under these conditions.


the green tea ball is fully bloomed here

So as you can see, I've been playing with the macro lens on my new D80. I invested some time in building myself a "studio" out of a cardboard box last night. I am glad to say that I escaped arterial damage with the exacto blade and was able to successfully carve out my studio unscathed. I still have to purchase some decent lights. I guess my old 80's fluorescent desk light isn't going to cut it anymore. It's starting to do that irritating flickering thing and is on its last legs.

this pic better shows the globe amaranth bloom inside

I have followed the advice of Tartelette and my hubby Stomach and have started using a tripod and have been practising my focussing skills. 'Tis not so easy I must say. The fact that I have a tripod set up now makes me feel as though I'm taking all this photography stuff seriously. But NO! I protest. It's just because my focussing sucks and I can't hold the camera still.

What with all the hobbies and crafts I take on, like cardmaking, scrapbooking, knitting (I have a loom too!), jewelry making, glass mosaics, cake decorating/baking, I can't take up another thing! There's no more room in my already jam-packed craft room! I think I need help. I'm something like a "Crafts & Hobbies" junkie.

NB: you can purchase these clear teapots in most specialty tea stores. My favourite is a Jenaer Glass teapot made in Germany. I have the "Country" teapot and the "Collection" tea service & cups. Here's a catalogue from a wholesaler here. They also have a cool catalogue of other tea accessories. Too bad you can't order from them unless you're a merchant.

As for those blossoming tea balls: they're everywhere in Vancouver it seems; even in coffee shops. Here's a coffee shop in Vancouver called Blenz carrying some. Here's just one site I googled that sold them online worldwide.